This invention is directed to an apparatus which separates moldable material into individual units which are each enclosed between film layers and the method by which food and other similar moldable materials are separated into individual units which are individually wrapped.
Many processes require the separation of a continuous stream of material, such as extruded material, into individual units. In some cases, the material is chopped as it leaves the extruder. The chopping rate must be closely coordinated with the extrusion rate to obtain units of fairly the same size. All such units can be chopped onto a conveyor belt, and the units must be individually handled for packaging. When the material is food, the conveyor belt must be continuously cleaned and the packaging equipment which directly handles the units must be regularly cleaned.
In modern food handling systems, and particularly in franchise retailers of various food products, a central kitchen prepares the basic food units which are thereupon frozen for storage and shipment to the store which cooks the unit and delivers it freshly cooked to the customer. This method of freshly cooked food items to the customer is found in the retailing of cookies, through fresh-baked cookie outlet stores. The same kind of handling occurs in other kinds of food products, such as hamburgers. However, using existing equipment and processes, the apparatus which separates the moldable food material into units is slow and needs to be regularly and carefully cleaned. This results in high costs of preparing the food unit for shipping and subsequent cooking. As a consequence, there is need for an equipment and method by which unitizing costs can be minimized to increase the economic strength of the industry.